Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-03
TEXAS AND HER RAILROADS,

THE GAZETTE has always been the
friend and ardent supporter of railroads
because it's constituents, in common with
the enterprising people OF Texas, have
been friendly to them and this paper seeks
to reflect the sentiments of it's people and
to give expression to their desires. Rail
roads have done much for Texas, and
Texas has done much for railroads. They
are each independent and should continue
friendly, and, while THE GAZETTE feels
that there is Just cause OF complaint, and
believes that it would be untrue to Texas
if that complaint was not made known, it
should be remembered that 1t is done In
the kindliest spirit, and with the sole de-
sire of benefting Texas and, consequent
~, the railroads entering the state. For
q long time it has been noticed that our
state has not been developing sit should
The fertility of the soil, the attractiveness
of the climate, should induce immigration,
and our wild land should ne taken up and
put in cultivation. Our wealth and popu-
lation should be made to increase much
more rapidly than it has been doing, ii
Justice were done, and the thousands
who are seeking homes in California snd
Kansas should be brought in here to be-
come citizens of our stste. Such, how
ever, is not the case. It is fact, fsct
to DE regretted, but nevertheless q fact,
that more people have left Texas within
the past nine months than have come into
it. To bring about this unfortunate re-
suit there has been a conspiracy of caus-
es, some of which were misfortunes
which time alone can remedy. Others
that can be and should be remedied at
once. Our land laws are not favorable
to immigration and should be remedied !;
the drouth which visited a portion Of
this country, and which has left no
visible effect, has been advertised broad
cast over the land by sensationaliSts
and officious meddlers or interested per
sons until the opinion of Texas that pre-
walls abroad IS that tue state is dreary,
barren desert, scorched and parched with
drouth, and that its people are on the
verge of starvation. This is q mis-
fortune which can only be remedied By
time. II cannot be done by literature OF
by tie representations of our citizens
people must be convinced By ocular
demonstration and this must he done By
bringing them here. The railroads have
not treated and are not treating Texa
fairly. They are Masking no effort t
populate the stste and are permitting
themselves to be used as instruments o
evil, and clogs upon Texas prosperity
The Southern Pacific Railroad being ia
terested in the settlement OF Southern
California dominates the entire country
J That railroad gives round-trip ticket
good for six months and permits passen
| gers to 60 over one route and return owe
! another, all for something like $50, Tn
| best that is being done for Texas is s.
less to Ell Paso, and such cities 8
HSrlSJ Sl6IuauJ TUT w OIbu1 DaI1aSt DCH
! ison, Corsicana and Waco are not sdver
, tised or mentioned in the round trip lis
of objective points. Moreover, the South
ern Pacific pays ticket agents abou
Z SIS commissions for each round ticke
i sold, while the pool among our roads
: ironclad, 1mmovable, paying no commits
E sions, excepting in few instances. sn
2 apparently careless about securing pas
t senger traffic. Again, while even outsid
: ers know that it takes passenger men t
r get passengers, and while the roads lead
ing into Californis and Kansas have PCS
senger men managing this branch of tn
} traffic, our roads have passenger agent
. who are subordinate to and guided By tn
I pool commissioner, who is distinctively
e freight man. There are not the prope
: efforts being made, advertising and sole
t ting are not attended to, and those fe'